Before the Blitz
by Shadowwolf5
Summary: CH. 3 UP! My take on part of Brad's life before he joined the Blitz Team. Assuming he's 17 with Blitz. How he became a mercenary and what teams he fought on before becoming famous. Please R&R and as always, ENJOY!
1. Goodbye

**Shadowwolf: ** I LIVE! Yes, that is one of my favorite phrases. But anyway, how's everything going for everyone? … That well, huh?

**Brad:** *rolls eyes* She's talking to herself again…

**Bit: ***nod nod*

**Shadowwolf:**  DO NOT CRITICIZE ME FOR THAT!

**Brad & Bit:** O.o

**Shadowwolf:**  *fumes* I'm just bored. And tired. And I have a bad case of creativity deprivation, which is where this came from! I got the idea while petting my cat, Buddy. Don't ask why that activity spawned this idea, because I really couldn't tell you. I just hope you all enjoy this, y'know, those of you that are reading. *sweatdrops*

**Brad:** *sips coffee*

**Shadowwolf:** Right! Thanks for reminding me. Disclaimer: I don't own anything I talk about and I never will. Don't sue.

**Brad:**  How did that rem…never mind…

**Shadowwolf:**  *raises eyebrow* Okay. This is Brad's POV when he's about 15 years old, at home, still. So, here it goes. Please enjoy and review!

BEFORE THE BLITZ

Good-bye

            I sighed as I made little patterns in my mashed potatoes with my spoon.  Looking up at the rest of my family around the dinner table, you'd never know one of us was about to leave.  And wouldn't it just be my luck, that the one who was leaving was my favorite?

            I looked over to her, almost expecting her to be gone already. But, there she was; Joon, my eighteen year old sister and idol.  Seriously.  Don't laugh.  Joon looked back at me and winked during a break in the conversation, which I wasn't involved in.  I forced a smile back to her and looked down at my food, which had no flavor and felt like nails going down my throat.

            "So, Joon, what team are you going to join?" my mother, Cleo, asked innocently enough.

            "Actually," my sister replied, looking around at all of us, then Dad, "I'm going to be a mercenary."

            My dad nearly choked and set down his fork. "You're what?"

            "I'm going to be a mercenary," Joon repeated firmly.

            "And whatever gave you that idea, Joon?  Mercenaries are nasty people, and I've told you enough times, my children are too good for the likes of them."

            "Dad, it's not like that.  You don't even know any mercenaries!"

            "Yes I do.  What about Jack Cisco?  He's a mercenary, and a creep."

            "He's only one out of hundreds.  Besides, female mercenaries are rare, and you know sexism drives me nuts."

            My dad paused, studying Joon's face with his eyes.  We all knew how Joon felt about being the only girl in a family with three boys.  She hated getting treated differently.

            "James, I think it's a wonderful idea.  She's right, there are very few female mercenaries," my mom chimed in.

            Dad looked over to her in frustration. "But Cleo, there's a reason there are very few female mercenaries.  She'll just be a toy to them, if you catch my drift."

            "James, that is not appropriate.  Joon can handle herself, and you know that better than anyone at this table," she glared at him and looked back to Joon.  "It's fine."

            Dad grumbled and shoved a chunk of chicken in his mouth while avoiding eye contact with anyone.  I looked back down to my food and picked at it.

            "I'm sorry this is such a problem, Dad…but it's what I really want to do.  I'm not letting anyone stop me."

            I looked up to her with a slight smile.  This was what I really admired about her.  She didn't let anything get in her way, and she never gave up.  I'm sure that if Mom hadn't stepped into that argument, Joon would've fought with Dad until one of them dropped dead.

            Dad nodded in defeat. "Okay.  It's fine with me.  Just watch yourself."

            "I will, Dad, don't worry," she said with a smile and cleaned up the rest of her plate.  Her small victory didn't help me any, though.  This meant she was definitely leaving tomorrow.  I sighed again and pushed my plate away.

            "I'm full."

            "Brad," my mom looked up to me, "you haven't eaten anything."

            "Yeah I did.  You just gave me too much."

            "Well, all right…put the leftovers in the fridge and the plate in the sink, will you?"

            "Okay," I said and picked up the full plate, then carried it into the kitchen.  Joon came in right after me and started rinsing her dish off.

            "Are you doing okay, Brad?" she asked as she set the plate down and got some containers for my food.

            "Fine," I lied.

            "Yeah, right.  I've only had to live with you for all fifteen years of your life, I think I know when something's wrong."

            I avoided eye contact with her. "I just don't want you to leave…"

            She sighed.  "You don't want me to leave?  You mean, you'll miss me?" she asked somewhat sarcastically, that being the only way she knew how to talk.

            "No…why would I miss you?  Once you're gone, I'll be the oldest."

            "Yeah, but Matt and Phil are gonna fight you all the way.  You won't have me to back you up," she said with a smirk.

            "Yup…"

            "Come on, Brad," Joon said and turned me to her. "Please, I wanna help."

            "I…" I started and looked around the room, happy that the kitchen had a good solid wall and two doors separating it from the other rooms, "I _am gonna miss you…you're my favorite person in the world, and you won't be around anymore…"_

            "Oh…Brad…" she hugged me tight, and I hugged back some. "I'll keep in contact with you, I promise.  Don't be sad…"

            "You won't tell the others, will you?  Matt wouldn't care, but Phil wouldn't let me hear the end of it…"

            "Psh, I won't tell them, if you don't tell them that you're _my favorite." She smiled.  I grinned._

            "Okay.  I won't tell."

            "Good," she said, putting the last of the food in a container and setting it in the refrigerator.  "Whaddya say to one last battle, you and Matt against me?"

            "You got it.  We'll win this time."

            "Yah, right."

----

            Matt and I stood next to each other, facing Joon in her blue Command Wolf.  I was jealous.  She got it as a present when Mom and Dad found out she was finally leaving.  It was a scary Zoid, next to my Rev Raptor and Matt's Gun Sniper.  We had practice, sure, since we did this once a week at least, but we needed better Zoids.  At least these were free, courtesy of our Dad, the owner of the Zoid shop called The Bone Yard.  He specialized in dinosaur type Zoids, so, here we were.

            "Ready yet?" Joon called.

            "Of course!" Matt called back.

            "Then, I'll count down…"

            Matt rolled his eyes at me over the comm. link.  Joon had a habit of counting too fast…

            "One-two-three, GO!" she shouted in her usual overly excited way.  We charged forward at each other, and Matt attempted to take her left side while I took the right.  This was an old move.  A very old move, as Joon reminded us as she sped up and ran in-between both of us, causing us to collide.  I raised my Raptor slowly and came up just fast enough to see Joon tackle Matt and shove him into the ground.  I ran to the side to get away before she saw me just standing there, and a System Freeze signal came from Matt's Gun Sniper.

            "Oh, great," I sighed, tensing up as Joon came at me fast.  I pushed the Rev Raptor forward as fast as it could go, keeping just out of Joon's reach.

            "Aww, come play with me!  Nobody wants to play with me!" she teased, doing her impression of the abominable snowman in Bugs Bunny cartoons.  I sweatdropped, then turned quickly and got behind her.

            "Yes!" I shouted, as getting her in a vulnerable position was rare.  Unfortunately, as was frequently the case, she pulled the same move in a slightly different way and slammed into my Zoid's side.  My Raptor was sent to the ground and Joon placed her Command Wolf's paw on its side.

            "I win."

            I sighed as she celebrated. "Okay, okay…you win again…" She moved back and let me open the cockpit to climb out, while she jumped down to meet me.  Matt walked over to us and pretended to sulk.

            "You just have a better Zoid, that's all."

            "Sure…" she said with a smirk, before checking her watch. "It's getting late, we should get to bed."

            Matt nodded and started walking back to the hangar.  Just as I stepped forward to follow him, Joon put a hand on my shoulder.

            "Hey, Brad…"

            "Yeah?"

            She reached around her neck and pulled off her only piece of jewelry, a long necklace with a ruby red crystal, a green bead, and a feather hanging down.  She looked at it and put it around my neck.  "I want you to have this."

            I blinked down at it.  I always assumed this must be special to her, because she never wore jewelry, and this was as close as she ever got to anything fancy.  "You do?"

            "I do. That way you'll never forget that I'm always here for you, y'know?  You can talk to me anytime you want.  Besides, it might be lucky." She shrugged.

            "Wow…thanks, Joon…"

            "You're welcome.  But you have to promise me not to give up.  Ever.  Okay?"

            I nodded quickly.  "I promise."

            "Good…let's get you to bed."

----

            I slammed my hand down to turn off my alarm and missed, slapping the wood of my nightstand pretty hard.  I groaned and sat up, then turned the alarm off more carefully.

            "Aww, crap," I grumbled, throwing on some clothes and running downstairs and into the hangar to see that Joon was already set to leave. She was hugging Matt good-bye when she saw me.

            "Bradley-Wadley!" she teased.  She knew I hated that, but somehow, with her just about to leave, it didn't bother me so much. "Remember what I told you, okay?  And we'll have to have a rematch when I come to visit again."

            I nodded. "But I'll have a better Zoid by then, and Matt and I will win for the first time."

            "Uh-huh, yeah…sure…" she chuckled and gave me a quick, tight hug.  I returned it with more feeling than normal and smiled.

            "Bye Mom, Dad," she said and hugged each of our parents before moving to her Zoid.  We all watched as she climbed in, waved, lowered the cockpit, and moved slowly out the large hangar door.  We all moved and waved as the Command Wolf picked up speed and kicked up clouds of sand across the desert.  I bit my lip and went over to work on my Rev Raptor without a word to anyone else.

**Shadowwolf:**  First chapter done!  YAY!  That leaves… *counts* some more. ^.^;;

**Brad:**  You're going to hurt me again, aren't you?

**Shadowwolf:**  Maybe, maybe not.  I hope you all enjoyed!


	2. Hopity, Hopity, Hop

**Shadowwolf: ** THANK YOU ALL FOR READING AND REVIEWING!

**Saku** ~ Thanks for the review, Sis! ^_^ I'm sorry it was a tearjerker. Hehehe…it'll hopefully get better… *doesn't even know herself* I hope you like this chapter!

**The Masked Instigator** ~ I'm glad you liked that chapter! And I too like to see Brad's sensitive side. ^_^ I hope this story lives up to your expectations!!

**Coffee Luv** ~ Yesh, Brad is awesome. *grins* Thanks so much for reading!

**darkleena** ~ *sarcastically* What a surprise to see you reviewing! ^_- Sorry about starting another…but hey…actually, I have no excuse. *shrugs* I hope you like this chapter!

**Rynn Abhorsen** ~ YOU LIVE TOO! *does a happy dance* Did I miss that fic? Oh, sheesh. I have to check now. Sorry if I did. -.- I really appreciate your review. Maybe I'll sneak in some Brad/Naomi…I dunno… *shifty eyes*

**Shadowwolf:**  I hope this chapter is good. *shrugs* Because, honestly, at this point I don't know. Just to let you know: there is quite a lack in description of some of the characters. I'm sorta doing this…just because. I want you to be able to picture them however you want, without me saying something is so. Okay? If you hate it, and want me to describe a lot, otay…lemme know. ^_^ Haha… *shakes head* The disclaimer from chapter one applies here, because I'm lazy.

**Bit: **Yeah! Fight the man!

**Shadowwolf:** o.o Riiiiight…anyway, chapter two!! ENJOY!

BEFORE THE BLITZ

Hopity, Hopity, Hop

            Life was dull.  Nothing at all happened in the time that Joon was gone.  It was almost like she took all of our fun with her.  Well, when I say "our fun" I mean the fun Matt and I used to have.  Phil was never really one of us.

            Phil disliked Zoids and Zoid battles.  At only fifteen years old, he thought he knew everything.  He found special friends while hanging out at malls and little shops, and always preferred to be with them over his family.  This was no skin off my back, since we never got along.  I was happy to see him leave the house every day, and know that he wouldn't be back until somewhere around midnight.

            Phil's behavior didn't settle well with Mom and Dad, but they never really _did anything about it.  In fact, I think I tried to discipline Phil more than they did.  We always got in fights, and Joon was always the one to break them up.  Now that she was gone, our fights got nasty, and I ended up with bruises, scratches, and once even broken bones._

            Not that this was the reason I wanted her back.  I could take some hits, and I let Phil know it by coming back for more.  But it didn't matter to me that I stood up to him, because Joon wasn't there to congratulate me.

            Luckily for me, everything changed on my sixteenth birthday…

            "BRAD!!"

            "Oof!" I let out as a now twenty-year-old Joon wrapped me up in a tight hug when I opened the door. "Joon?!"

            "Yeah, Joon!  What, you think I wouldn't remember your birthday?  Man, you are **really dense," she teased and pounded my back hard.  I coughed, but couldn't stop smiling.**

            "Don't you have a battle or something today?  I mean, you must be busy…"

            "Bradley-Wadley, no amount of prize money is enough to lure me away from your birthday party!"

            "Aww, thanks…" I sighed, exhausted from being so happy to see her.

----

            "The best part, though, is meeting all the people.  You would not _believe _the kind of crazies that are out there!" Joon told us with a cheerful laugh.

            "What teams have you been on, Joon?" I asked curiously, leaning forward on the couch to hear her better.

            "Well…" she started from her seat on the floor, "I've been on the Tigers, Hunters, and Fluffy Bunnies teams."

            "Wait…" I blinked and laughed. "Fluffy Bunnies??  You're kidding!"

            "No, there really is a team called the Fluffy Bunnies!" she laughed a little herself. "Just a couple of people with a sense of humor, is all."

            "That's great, Joon…" my dad commented from behind his newspaper.  With his lack of respect for Joon at the moment, I wasn't feeling too friendly toward him.

            "Yeah, that's awesome.  How much do you get paid?"

            "That's between me and my wallet," she said with a wink.  I snorted and laughed a little.

            "Wow…" I said with a sigh, thinking back on everything she had told us about in the last hour.  It was a lot to absorb. "Y'know…I think I wanna be a mercenary."

            Dad pulled his paper down. "What?"

            "I…think I wanna be a…mercenary…" I repeated, unnerved by my father's tone.

            "You too?"

            "Yeah…" I nodded.

            "Why not, Dad?" Joon broke in. "He's even a guy.  If you let **me** do it, why not him?"

            "I didn't say I had a problem with it, did I?  I just think, Brad, that you'll find it's not all fun and games like Joon makes it sound."

            "I'll get you started!" Joon said excitedly in an effort to completely ignore Dad's comments.  "I can get you all set up."

            "Really?" I nearly jumped out of my seat.

            "Uh-huh.  Come on!" she said, standing and pulling me up, then walking out to the hangar.  Once we were far out of hearing range, she let out her frustrations.  "I don't get it…Dad's usually so supportive…why does he have such a problem with this?  He's driving me crazy, and I've been away from him for almost a year…"

            "I don't know…" I said honestly. We stood in front of my Rev Raptor.

            "Well, anyway, don't worry about him.  He can't stop you if this is really what you want to do…is it?"

            I nodded quickly without a word.

            "Okay then…now…" she started, looking up at my Zoid. "As you already know…this isn't the best Zoid…but…you have good skills, and there isn't any reason why some team shouldn't just snatch you up.  I'll help you out with that part, anyway."

            I nodded again, listening carefully.

            "So…you'll need to get a sort of 'license' before you can really fight for a team.  It's just a background test, no need for you to worry about it.  Heck, if I passed, you will without a problem." She winked.

            "Heh…"

            "Hmm…I need to leave tomorrow, though…are you…ready…to leave that soon?"

            "Yes!" I nearly shouted, straightening up and clamping my mouth shut afterwards.  Joon grinned.

            "Then that isn't a problem.  We'll leave tomorrow and you can get your license…then, the fun starts."

----

            Joon wasn't kidding.  I sat in the Rev Raptor's cockpit, holding the little slip of paper I got after passing the test. 

**BRAD HUNTER**

Test: **P**

ID: **543821-8**

12.**43.65.08**

Verify: _Don Leer_

            So it wasn't a fancy _laminated_ card…it was proof that I could do something right, at least.  I looked down to see that Joon was still deep in conversation with the pilots of the first team I'd ever join.  Or at least, I hoped they'd take me.

            The owner seemed to be a guy that looked about my height and wore casual clothes.  He had short black hair, which seemed to fit with the black Blade Liger he stood in front of.  It was an impressive Zoid, and I found myself wanting to touch it…just because it was there.

            A young woman stood next to him, a bit taller with silvery-grey hair and reddish eyes.  I raised an eyebrow at her.  She couldn't be much older than me…I was sure.  But you'd never know with the way she carried herself.  Proud…was the one word that came to mind.  She stood in front of a white König Wolf, a Zoid I would die for.

            Joon laughed a little, and so did the pilots, so I figured things must be going well.  I relaxed in my seat a bit, until Joon called up to me.

            "BRAD!!"

            I blinked and jumped up to leave the cockpit, and ended up smacking my head on the canopy.  I put my hand over the pained area and cursed, then opened the canopy and jumped out.  "Yeah?!"

            "Get over here!"

            "I'm coming!" I shouted back, running the short distance to meet them.  The two pilots smiled to me.

            "All right, Brad.  This is Denki Tanaka, the self-proclaimed leader of the team," she said, introducing me to the young man.  He chuckled and held out his hand.

            "Nice to meet you, Brad."

            "Nice to meet you, too, Mr. Tanaka."

            "Oh, please. Call me Denki," he said with a warm smile.  I nodded.

            "Or, you could call him Denk," the young woman next to him said with a smirk.  "I'm Vesta Ulf, and I don't agree with Denk's self-proclamations."

            "Nice to meet you, too…"

            "Call me Ves.  You might as well, as long as you're one of us," she said with a smile, but I wouldn't call it warm.

            "You mean, I…?" Joon nodded to finish my question. "Yes!!  Thank you!"

            "You're welcome.  Thanks for working for us," Denki said.

            "Yes, now you can go and tell all your friends that you're a proud member of the Fluffy Bunnies Team…" Vesta said sarcastically.  Joon laughed.  Ahh, so I was on a team called the Fluffy Bunnies…at least I had a team.

**Shadowwolf:**  He's got himself a team!  Not one to be proud of…but a team none-the-less…sorta boring…I know…no action…but necessary to build up the next chapter.  I would keep going…but it's getting long, and I have carpal tunnel in my neck and cheek. o.O

**Bit: ** Is that even possible?

**Shadowwolf:** *shrugs* I don't care.  It hurts.  I hope you liked this one, and hopefully the next one will be up soon!


	3. Better Luck Next Time

**Shadowwolf:**  Thanks to all readers and reviewers!!

**Coffee Luv** ~ *joins in with bowing to the Brad plushie* Okay…we need lives…Glad you liked it. ^.^

**Saku** ~ Glad you like the whole Fluffy Bunnies thing. Heehee…I think it's fitting that such a person should be on such a team, don't you? Well, sorry to say that the Vesta thing won't be getting any better… *duct tapes mouth shut before too much is revealed*

**darkleena** ~ Only more chapters can save you?! MUST WRITE MORE! *begins to scribble on paper* Thanks for reviewing!

**The Masked Instigator** ~ I'm glad you like it! I really appreciate your reviews! Here's number three!

**Shadowwolf:**  Guess what?!  I can't do simple addition!  In the last chapter I said Joon was 20, but she's really only 19…

**Bit:**  HA-HA!

**Shadowwolf:** *hits Bit with a stick* Anyway…yes.  Just so you know, even though I don't think it's that relevant. *shrugs* The same statement applying to the disclaimer from chapter one, from chapter two, applies to this chapter. I hope that made sense to you! It made perfect sense to me! Enough chatting, on to the chapter!

BEFORE THE BLITZ

Better Luck Next Time

            I sat in my Rev Raptor on the battlefield, standing on Vesta's left side and Denki's right.  They both seemed perfectly calm, the complete opposite of me at the moment.  Of course, they had large, powerful Zoids that would be useful against the two Dark Horns and single Iron Kong in front of us.

            This was apparently the infamous Champ Team, owned and operated by the wealthy Harry Champ.  I was impressed with the weapons and quality of his Zoids, but I knew I'd be spending my money on something better.  Like a König Wolf…I looked over at Vesta's Zoid and smiled.  The Wolf clawed the ground and growled at the Dark Horn across from it, while the Dark Horn shook its head from side to side.  The Judge started setting up the battle, and my butterflies came back.

            I looked over to the left and saw Joon's Command Wolf in the distance.  She had said she was going to hang around and watch this battle, and it looked like she kept her word.  This made me feel a little better, especially remembering what she told me before…

            _"Don't worry, Brad, you can't do anything wrong here. The Fluffy Bunnies Team is zero and six, they won't do bodily harm to you after another loss," she chuckled. "But a victory, aided by you, would really start your career off on a good foot. So give it your best, but don't worry. I know you'll do great…"_

            Nice, comforting, inspiring words to hear from my role model.  But they didn't stop all of my nerves from acting up.  I looked down and held the charm around my neck.

            "Battlefield set up. The Fluffy Bunnies Team versus the Champ Team.  Battle mode 0982.  Ready…fight!" the Judge called and Vesta and Denki charged forward.  I grabbed the controls and charged after them.

            "Okay, Brad, no offense, but you don't stand a chance against the Iron Kong, so why don't you and Vesta take on a Dark Horn together?" Denki asked over the comm. link as we ran.  Another comm. link opened to reveal our opponent.

            "Hello, Fluffy Bunnies!" he said and immediately broke into hysterical laughter.  When he caught himself he continued. "My name's Harry Champ, and I'm a man destined to be king!  Your record is about to get even worse, and your reputation lowered further!"

            "Really?  At least we aren't wearing pink boas," Vesta spat.  Harry blinked, and then looked down at his jacket.

            "Pink boas?  Hey!  This is a designer jacket, I'll have you know!"

            Vesta coughed and laughed.  Harry looked flustered and terminated the link.  "Okay, Denk, I'll go with Brad, but I want a piece of Harry too.  Save some for me," she said, pulling her Zoid over closer to mine while Denki's Blade Liger pulled ahead.  "Okay, Brad, just do what I say and this guy'll go down in no time."

            "All right, Ves," I replied and waited for her to give me instructions.  We continued on in silence until we almost met up with the Dark Horn.

            "Okay, I'm going to tackle him and wrestle with him a bit.  Then I'll jump off and I want you to come in and finish him off, while I go and start on the other Dark Horn.  We can repeat the process with that one.  Got it?"

            "I got it!" I shouted excitedly as I took mental note of the plan.  Vesta nodded and moved ahead to meet with the opposing Zoid.  Her König Wolf leapt into the air, more like a fox than a wolf, and came down on the Dark Horn's back.  The Dark Horn collapsed under the pressure and Vesta began to tear at the Zoid's underside.  The Dark Horn couldn't defend itself very well, and Vesta soon jumped off to let me in.

            "Go for it!"

            I nodded and my Rev Raptor moved forward with a hiss.  Before the Dark Horn could push itself up, I jumped on it and dug my Zoids claws into the weak area prepared by Vesta.  My Zoid growled and the enemy sort of groaned, then pushed up and sent me to the ground.  I tried twice to get my Zoid up before it actually did, only to have the Dark Horn plow into it from the side.

            My Raptor hissed again and jumped up quickly as the Dark Horn turned around for another attack.  Before the pilot got a chance, Denki came to my aid and sliced the Dark Horn nearly in half with his blades.  I was about to thank him when the Iron Kong, piloted by Harry, grabbed the Liger and threw it to the ground.

            "Units 54360 and 54330 are disabled," the Judge updated.  It was two on two now, and one of our good Zoids was gone.

            I turned to see Vesta wrestling with the other Dark Horn, just before Harry picked up my Zoid.  I fought the controls and tried to get free, but nothing worked, and all I could do was watch as the Iron Kong's grip tightened and squeezed the life out of my Zoid.  I was dropped to the ground, and got shaken up by the impact, but immediately cursed and punched my control panel.

            "Unit 00417 is disabled," the Judge updated again, and I opened my cockpit with some grumbling.  I hopped down to the ground and watched as the Iron Kong approached Vesta.

            Her König Wolf gave the finishing blow to the Dark Horn and turned just as the Kong's arm swept toward her.  She didn't have time to evade and was launched into the air, landing with a crash on the ground a couple hundred feet away.  It was enough.

            "Units 54410 and 55120 are disabled…the battle is over!  The battle is over!  The winner is…the Champ Team!" the Judge announced before closing its capsule and launching back into the sky.  Vesta climbed out of her Zoid and walked over to Denki as Harry lifted his canopy and shouted to us.

            "Nice try!  Maybe we'll fight again and I can win some more _easy_ prize money for new jackets!" He laughed and closed the canopy, then turned and started to drag the two fallen Dark Horns off the field.  Denki and Vesta came up to me and I swallowed hard.

            "Brad, if you'd taken that Dark Horn out like I said, Denki wouldn't've had to save you!  We were winning!" Vesta growled at me.  Denki put a hand on her shoulder.

            "Calm down, Ves, he tried.  Besides, it was a tough battle, even for us!  Come off it…"

            Vesta growled and folded her arms across her chest. "Okay…but he isn't getting paid…"

            "I don't expect to get paid…I didn't perform well at all…" I said somewhat defensively.

            "At least the boy has sense," Vesta muttered and turned back to her Zoid. "Our next battle is really important, so let's try and get Jack or someone," she said to Denki before walking back to her König Wolf.  I sighed.

            "I'm sorry, Denki…"

            "Don't be sorry, Brad.  This was a tough first battle to fight.  You did well," he said with a comforting smile.  I forced a smile back to him.

            "Thanks…"

            "No problem…but…I think it would be best if you moved on to another team.  Only because Vesta's right…we need an experienced mercenary for our next battle…it really isn't anything against you, Brad."

            "Oh, yeah…I understand…that's fine…" I replied, feeling pretty low and useless, but trying my best not to show it.  Denki smiled awkwardly as Joon's blue Command Wolf ran up and pulled to a stop next to us.

            "Brad!" she called before jumping down from the cockpit and walking over. "Not bad for your first **real** team battle!"

            "Thanks…" I said less than sincerely.  Joon's smile faltered.

            "Thanks for letting him fight for you, Denki."

            "No problem at all.  Well, I'm off to go fix our Zoids and get ready for our next battle.  I'll see you around," Denki said with a step toward his Blade Liger.

            "All right.  Good luck next time," Joon said.  Denki nodded and ran the rest of the way to his Zoid.  Joon crouched down to my height. "Everything okay, Brad?"

            "Yeah…" I sighed, avoiding eye contact with her.  Joon frowned and patted my shoulder.

            "It's okay, Brad.  It really was a tough battle, they weren't just saying that.  Those were three powerful Zoids to fight, especially in a Rev Raptor…"

            I nodded.

            "Oh, Brad.  Don't be like that.  Come on…I'll tell you what: I'll set you up with another team, and maybe you'll have a better time with them.  Whaddya think?"

            "I dunno…I mean…how could you even find a team to take me?"

            "You didn't do **that** poorly, Brad.  Besides, teams are usually eager to take on fresh mercenaries, because they could be the best new thing-"

            "But I'm not," I interrupted.  Joon sighed.

            "You didn't let me finish.  They could be the best new thing in hiding, just waiting to come out.  There aren't very many mercenaries who start out with a bunch of wins, y'know."

            "How many are there, then?"

            "One or two.  But what I'm getting at is this: if a team can make a good relationship with a new mercenary, they can usually count on that mercenary to come back for them at any time.  That means that teams will want you, and if you can prove yourself, you'll find a team to fall back on if you need a job."

            "So…if I can't prove myself…?" I raised an eyebrow and Joon growled in frustration.

            "Stop putting yourself down and thinking you can't do it.  Remember what you said?  You promised me you wouldn't give up…"

            I blinked and looked up at her. "I'm not giving up…"

            "Then why are you being so hard on yourself?  It looked like you were just having an off day, to me.  That's to be expected, with the tension you're going through.  The next battle will be better.  I promise."

            "Okay, Joon…" I said with a slight smile. "Thanks…"

            "Don't mention it.  Now, all we need to do is repair your Zoid and get you set up on a better team.  Then all that's left is to make enough prize money for your own blue Command Wolf," she said with a smirk and a wink.  I chuckled.

----

            "Hello, Brad.  My name is Bjorn Alt.  This is my sister, Jennifer, and our friend David Barken.  Welcome to the Bulls-Eye Team," a tall young woman with black hair and amber eyes said to me as we stood in their team's hangar.

            "Thanks! It's nice to meet you, Bjorn, Jennifer, and David," I said and shook Bjorn's hand, then Jennifer's.  Jennifer was the same size and build as her sister, with brown hair and the same amber eyes.  I smiled and shook David's hand, next.  He was taller than the sisters and had golden-blonde hair and warm brown eyes.

            "Great to have you on our team, Brad," David said with a grin.  Joon stepped forward and played with my hair.

            "Thanks for taking him, you guys.  He'll do well."

            "You're very welcome, Joon," Jennifer said, "We've been looking for a young mercenary to help us out, since my Dibison's in the shop."

            "I'm glad Brad's here to help you out.  Well, I have to head out, and Brad needs to pick up his Zoid, but I wish you all the best of luck tomorrow."

            "Thanks," all three of the pilots said at once.  Joon nodded and started back to her Command Wolf.  I waved to my newest employers and followed her.

            "Thanks, Joon," I said as I caught up and walked at her side.

            "You're welcome, Brad.  I'm sorry I have to leave you, but I need to get _myself_ a job," she said with a chuckle.

            "Don't worry, I'll be fine on my own," I said proudly, but couldn't hold up the attitude and laughed.

            We climbed into her Zoid and had a silent ride into the nearest town, where my Rev Raptor was being repaired.  Joon and I entered the shop quietly and went up to the desk.

            "Excuse me, Sir, is unit 50034 repaired yet?" I asked the middle aged man behind the counter.  He looked down at a notepad and nodded.

            "Yessir, that Rev Raptor was in bad shape, but it's all ready for ya.  What will payment be?"

            Joon stepped forward and sort of nudged me out of the way. "I'm paying.  Brad, go ahead and get your Zoid," she said with a smile.

            "Thanks, Joon." I felt bad that Joon had to pay for my Zoid's repairs.  She had her own Zoid to worry about.  It wasn't fair…I'd have to pay her back sometime.  I sighed and walked through a door marked "Repairs" and found myself in a large hangar.  My Rev Raptor was just to the right of the door and I walked over to it.

            It looked brand new.  A man in overalls approached me with a clipboard.  "Are you the owner of this Zoid?"

            "Yes."

            "Has it been paid for?"

            "It's being paid for now," I replied.  This mechanic looked over to see the man from the desk open the door and hold up a piece of paper. He looked satisfied and gave me the clipboard.

            "Sign here please." He pointed to a space at the bottom, which I signed without hesitation. "Thank you.  Please exit through the door on your right."

            I nodded and climbed into the cockpit, then pulled forward and walked down the length of the hangar.  The collection of Zoids in this one hangar was amazing.  A Warshark, two Command Wolves, three Helcats, a Dark Horn, a Shield Liger, a Saber Tiger, and two Gun Snipers were all lined up.  I was amazed that they could repair all of them.

            The door on my right, labeled "1C" opened and I moved my Zoid out.  Joon and her blue Command Wolf were outside, waiting for me.  I stopped my Zoid next to hers and jumped out, then ran up to her with a sad feeling starting to surface again.

            "If you need any money or anything, just let me know, Brad.  Don't be afraid to ask for stuff."

            "Thanks, Joon.  Hopefully I'll be earning my own, though.  Then I won't have to bother you anymore," I said with a slight smile.  Joon came forward on me with a tight hug.

            "Aw, Brad, you never bother me.  Just keep in touch and let me know how things go.  I want to know how every battle goes."

            "Okay, Joon," I sighed and she let go.

            "Don't forget to have fun…you know where to reach me."

            "Yup." I watched sadly as she climbed into her Zoid and shouted down to me before lowering the canopy.

            "Bye, Brad!  Love ya!"

            "Bye, Joon!  Love ya too!" I called back and waved as the Command Wolf came to life and stretched.  It turned and howled at me before charging off.  I looked up at my Rev Raptor and thought about how much I hated watching her leave…

**Shadowwolf:**  Sorta long. ^_^;; I really hope you enjoyed this chapter!  More to come soon!


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